Australia Day: Australia’s main holiday is celebrated with as much gusto as can be mustered in remote Cape Tribulation. The local residents of Daintree tend to kick back on this day, but if you want something more exciting simply head into Port Douglas or Cairns.

Reef ‘n’ Rainforest Series: if you enjoy horseracing, you’ll want to head over to the Mareeba track an hour outside of Cairns for this major Queensland event. Thoroughbreds from around the world come here to compete in this prestigious racing event.

Port Douglas Carnival: one of the biggest events near Cape Tribulation is this great local festival featuring a six-day sailing regatta as the highlight. Music, dance, theatre and fashion shows add to the fun. If you’re in the area, don’t miss this week-long festival of fun.

Cairns Tropical Garden Show: if you have any interest in gardening, you’ll want to plan to be in Cairns for North Queensland’s greatest horticulture event. Growing competitions, workshops and displays of some of the region’s rarest and most exotic plants are features of this annual affair.

Queensland Music Festival: one of the state’s premier music events is put on at dozens of venues in all the region’s main towns simultaneously to provide maximum exposure. Visitors can expect to see some great music wherever they are staying in Queensland during this month.

Cairns Show: Australia’s largest regional show features a huge fun park and all kinds of competitions at the Cairns Show Grounds. For three days the city plays on rides, watches music concerts, learns from expo displays and generally enjoys life on the spacious grounds.

Festival Cairns: for a couple of weeks at the end of the month, the city stops what it’s doing and gets into the party mood. This major annual celebration features performance and visual arts, music concerts, and sports competitions. Lots of good food and drinks round out a great winter festival.

Botanic Garden Spring Festival: Cairns Botanic Gardens turn into a family fun experience as the grounds come alive with vendors selling everything from homemade ice cream to arts and crafts. Street performers entertain visitors, live music cascades in the background and wine tasting keeps everyone in good spirits.

Cairns Amateurs Racing Carnival: the social event of the year sees all the locals dress up in their finest and come out to hobnob during this two-day carnival centred around auto racing. Fashion shows, fancy balls, and cocktail parties make this an interesting event to attend if you want to see how Queensland socialites live.

Fun in the Sun: the focus of this annual festival is the celebration of living in the tropics. Numerous activities are planned to remind everyone why they live in such a warm and lush environment. This is a particularly good event if you have kids.

Mossman Music Festival: one of the few annual events that take place in Cape Tribulation is this laid-back music festival held near Mossman Gorge. Musicians from all around Queensland and the country mix it up in this fun spring event.

Cairns Art Society Exhibition: each year Queensland’s local artists get a chance to showcase their artwork to the world. Any art lover will want to attend this exciting hometown event where you can pick up a piece of unique and affordable art for your collection.

Walkamin Country Music Festival: music fans from around the state converge on Kerribee Park in Mareeba for three days of the best country bands around. Food and beer will keep you fed and watered throughout the performances as you party with thousands of Queenslanders.

Postcard Show: this annual fundraising event at the Cairns Regional Gallery offers a unique take on the art world. Artists from around Australia are invited to exhibit and auction off postcard-sized pieces of art. The results are quite extraordinary and well worth checking out.